


helios, eos, selene

by Jaybird_Wings



Category: The Penumbra Podcast
Genre: Ambiguous/Open Ending, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Juno still has.... that theia soul chip on hand..., Post Season 2 Finale, Rita is mentioned bc shes a good friend
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-02
Updated: 2019-02-02
Packaged: 2019-10-20 18:14:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 802
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17627195
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jaybird_Wings/pseuds/Jaybird_Wings
Summary: "We're passing by the closest galaxy to Mars. It's quite the sight.""Oh? Which one?""The Andromeda Galaxy."





	helios, eos, selene

**Author's Note:**

> FUN FACT, Helios, Eos, and Selene are the children of the Titans Hyperion and Theia. Interesting, huh?

      Juno could feel the weight of the Theia Soul burning in his pocket.

  
      Each night as he shrugged off the old coat, he slipped out the chip and stared at it. With it, memories of static and a loss of control seized him, leaving nights of restless bouts of insomnia in its wake.  
      As much as he'd like to put Ramses and his insanity behind him, the words still echo in his head

 

      He's nothing without the Theia Spectrum.

 

      It's not true, he... he knows the Theia was a parasite that wanted him to think he needed it. But the words still echo.  
      Rita can somehow see when he's in a downward spiral. Those bad evenings they stare at the stars as she talks about movies she's seen of star adventurers like themselves.

      He smiles to her and it isn't a chore off some checklist he has, so it's the little victories.

 

     One night as the nightmares won't leave him alone, he sits alone to stare at the stars by himself.

 

      By the kitchen area, there is a large, rounded window that lays below a railing, so it looks like he could just drop off into the abyss.

      He sits and thinks about the new life he has set up.

      He never imagined leaving Hyperion. At one point, his only worth was connected to helping that city.

 

      Here he was, though. Off in space.

 

      He digs the Theia from his pocket to stare at it once again. It seems too small for what it did to him. It feels too cold compared to how it burned away at him.  
      He should really hand it off to Rita. He's tired of holding onto the past for so long.

      He hears steps clicking down the hallway, the distinct click of heels on the sleek floor. He assumes it's Rita, one of the three people who wear heels on the ship (and the person who usually joins him.)

      "Hello, Juno." Greets the voice that never fails to send his heartbeat racing.

      Peter Nureyev.

 

      Okay. Not Rita.

 

      His throat feels too right to speak as Peter sat down next to him to stare at the stars as well.

      What would a man more beautiful than the stars gain to look at them?

      He curls his hand around the Theia like it's something he has to be ashamed of.  
      He kind of is.

      It was his foolish belief in Ramses that-

      - and he wasn't going to spiral down that road tonight. What was a living dead nightmare to the dead living love next to him at that moment?

  
      He said sorry after the ship took off a few weeks ago, as he was painfully aware Nureyev and him were about to spend a lot of time together in a cramped space. He wasn't going to avoid the elephant in the room.

      Nureyev took his apologies toughly, as he had the right to. But Juno wasn't off in space to dig up old moping habits or trying to prove himself. Peter wasn't on the mission to be angry at Juno. They were people.

 

      And you know what?

 

      Every laugh with Rita or conversation with Vespa, Juno felt better. A year ago if someone told his past self he was going to get better, he would have scoffed.

      But he did feel happier, even with the tensions that still existed between them.

      Maybe they would get fixed, and maybe after that, they could try again.

      "What brings you out so late?" They can still talk.

      Peter hums before saying, "We're passing by the closest galaxy to Mars. It's quite the sight."

      He doesn't blame Peter if he could never love him again, but for Juno-

      "Oh? Which one?"

      For Juno, his head still spins at the smell of his cologne and he's still in love-

      "The Andromeda Galaxy."

      "Andromeda... Huh."

 

      A lot has happened since he last saw Nureyev, and a lot has changed, but he thinks that might never go away.

 

      "So, how about you Juno? What brings you out to stare out into the stars so late into the day?"

      Time was a liquid concept in space, but everyone else had already gone off to bed.

      "It's still breathtaking, no matter how many times I look. And, you know, insomnia."

      He slowly pockets the Theia Soul. It's not controlling him anymore and he's not going to regret his free will.

      Andromeda comes closer, and the first cluster of stars and planets come into view.

      It passes, eventually, and he feels tired yet buzzing with energy from just sitting next to Nureyev.

 

      He still gets up to leave, though.

 

      "Good night Nureyev, where the heart falters the soul intercedes."

      "What... what was that, Juno?"

      "I said good night, Nureyev."

  
Saying his name aloud felt a lot like static.

 

**Author's Note:**

> I do think Juno's major Theia problems are over with but I just couldn't get this scene out of my head ~


End file.
